Amorphization-sparked superb activity and excellent coke-resistance of Ni nanocatalyst

Selective conversion of CH₄ and CO₂ to syngas via the dry reforming reaction is highly desirable in terms of restraining the greenhouse effect and meanwhile acquiring useful chemicals. However, the most promising Ni catalysts for the reaction still suffer from severe coking and thus poor durability. Here, we report that using amorphous Ni nanoparticles synthesized on an N modified mesoporous silica support, the catalytic activity and coke-resistant performance of Ni toward the photothermal dry reforming of methane (DRM) are greatly improved. Theoretical calculations further unveil that the amorphous Ni nanoparticles are much more energetically favorable to activate the CH₄ and CO₂ molecules as well as to remove the C* intermediates for coke formation than their crystalline Ni counterparts, which renders the amorphous Ni nanoparticles with both superb activity and excellent coke-resisting property. This finding possibly provides a new avenue to make both highly efficient and anti-coking catalysts for the DRM reaction and beyond via facile amorphization of active metals.